Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Our Rural Future is the Government's national rural development policy. It sets out an ambitious blueprint for the development of, and investment in, rural Ireland over a five-year period. It is a whole-of-government policy, and the more than 150 measures set out within it are being delivered by the Departments with responsibility for the relevant policy areas, including the Department of Transport.

Our Rural Future was developed following extensive consultation with rural stakeholders and communities, and issues of rural transport provision featured strongly in those discussions. The policy was developed on the basis of these consultations, leading to a strong focus on improving the provision of transport and other services in rural areas.

The first Our Rural Future progress report was published in February and it provides updates on actions detailed in the policy's 2021 work programme. These include rural transport measures such as the expansion of Local Link services, investment in greenways and active travel infrastructure, as well as other public transport upgrades to the bus fleet and train stations and the development of the forthcoming Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan, which aims to expand the public transport network in rural areas and to increase service levels.

The Department of Rural and Community Development has the community services programme, CSP, which supports in excess of 2,000 positions in more than 420 community organisations to provide a vast range of local services through a social enterprise model, including the provision of transport services such as accessible transport services for an independent lifestyle for people with permanent or temporary mobility difficulties, physical and sensory disabilities and the not-for-profit sector. CSP funding is provided as a fixed annual contribution towards the cost of an agreed number of full-time equivalent positions, including a manager where appropriate, focusing on communities where public and private sector services are lacking either through geographical or social isolation or because demand levels are not sufficient.

Of the six organisations that are supported under CSP which provide a range of community services to older people, including transport, one is based in Macroom in Cork. It was supported with funding of more than €146,000 for the provision of services through the operation of three day care centres, transport services to older people and the provision of meals on wheels services.

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